Slocan Valley Rail Trail

Last updated

The Slocan Valley Rail Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia.

Contents

Overview

The trail uses the former Columbia and Kootenay Railway rail corridor along the section of the Slocan Valley between South Slocan and Slocan that the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) abandoned in 1994. Subsequently, CP removed the rails and ties, and dismantled the bridges. [1]

The 52-kilometre (32 mi) trail [2] is owned by the government of BC and managed by the Slocan Valley Heritage Trail Society (SVHTS). [1]

Timeline

1993: CP ran last freight train on September 14.
1994: The SVHTS was formed. CP applied to abandon line.
1999: CP gifted the right-of-way to the Trans Canada Trail (TCT).
2000: TCT gave the property to the BC government.
2002: SVHTS signed a 10-year agreement to manage rail trail. [1]
2003: SICEA grant received. [3]
2005 Construction of three new bridges, complete grading and brushing, extensive resurfacing and construction of trailheads. [4]
2007: Trail opened. [3]
2012: Became official TCT spur. [5]
2017: South Slocan–Crescent Valley becomes paved greenway. [1]

Sections

Sections. [2]
FromToDistanceFeatures
South SlocanCrescent Valley5.0 km (3.1 mi)Popular beach, pub, steeper grade, culvert tunnel
Crescent ValleyPassmore16.5 km (10.3 mi)Beaches, swift water, narrow winding valley, farms, commercial/residential, rocky shoreline
PassmoreWinlaw10.1 km (6.3 mi)Winding, forested, close river access, Little Slocan River mouth, marshland and wildlife habitat
Winlaw Lemon Creek12.0 km (7.5 mi)Multiple cafés, shopping, farms, private small beaches, historic markers
Lemon Creek Slocan8.1 km (5.0 mi)Wildlife sanctuary, First Nations habitat site, close river access, Slocan Beach

South Slocan box culvert

In 1962, southwest of South Slocan, a 90-metre (300 ft) long two-lane highway bridge, connecting embankment approaches, replaced a railway crossing. Five decades later, that bridge over the rail trail needed costly structural rehabilitation. In 2017, an embankment fill, with a 50-metre (160 ft) long concrete box culvert under the highway for cyclists and pedestrians, replaced the bridge. [6] Local artist Peter Vogelaar and volunteers painted a mural along the length of the tunnel detailing the valley history. [7]


Related Research Articles

The Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway (N&FS) is a historic railway that operated in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. The railway's name derived from a misspelling of Fort Shepherd, a former Hudson's Bay Company fort, on the west bank of the Columbia River immediately north of the border.

The Nakusp and Slocan Railway (N&S) is a historic Canadian railway that operated in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The N&S initially connected Nakusp and Three Forks but soon extended to Sandon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sicamous</span> District municipality in British Columbia, Canada

Sicamous is a district municipality in the Shuswap Country region of south central British Columbia. The place is adjacent to the narrows, which is the confluence of Mara Lake into Shuswap Lake. At the BC Highway 97A intersection on BC Highway 1, the locality is by road about 73 kilometres (45 mi) west of Revelstoke, 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Kamloops, and 75 kilometres (47 mi) north of Vernon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada

Coquihalla Canyon Park is on the north shore of the Coquihalla River in southwestern British Columbia. This provincial park includes the Othello Tunnels to the east and the mouth of the Nicolum River to the south. The tunnels were part of the Kettle Valley Railway (KV). Off Othello Rd, the locality is by road about 8 kilometres (5 mi) east of Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canal Flats</span> Village in British Columbia, Canada

Canal Flats is a village municipality in the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This Columbia Valley community lies between the southern end of Columbia Lake and the northwest shore of the Kootenay River. The locality, on Highway 93/95, is by road about 83 kilometres (52 mi) north of Cranbrook and 165 kilometres (103 mi) southeast of Golden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slocan, British Columbia</span> Village in British Columbia, Canada

The Village of Slocan is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and ferry terminal is at the mouth of Springer Creek, at the foot of Slocan Lake. The locality, on BC Highway 6 is about 69 kilometres (43 mi) by road north of Castlegar and 183 kilometres (114 mi) by road and ferry south of Revelstoke.

Winlaw is an unincorporated community adjacent to Winlaw Creek on the east side of the Slocan River in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The locality is on BC Highway 6 about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Slocan, and 49 kilometres (30 mi) north of Castlegar.

Robson is an unincorporated community in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and railway terminal is on the northeast side of the Columbia River. The residential area is off Broadwater Road, within the northwest part of Greater Castlegar.

The Duncan River is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Entering the North Arm of Kootenay Lake, the river is a major tributary of the Kootenay River, which in turn flows into the Columbia River. The Selkirk Mountains lie to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east.

Cody is at the confluence of Cody Creek into Carpenter Creek in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The ghost town, about one kilometre east of Sandon, lies off BC Highway 31A. By road, the former mining community is about 15 kilometres (9 mi) east of New Denver and 44 kilometres (27 mi) west of Kaslo.

The Columbia and Western Railway (C&W) was a historic, and initially narrow gauge, railway in southern British Columbia.

Slocan Park is an unincorporated community on the east side of the Slocan River in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. The neighbourhood on Highway 6 is about 9 kilometres (6 mi) north of Crescent Valley and 36 kilometres (22 mi) south of Slocan.

Rosebery is an unincorporated community about 6 kilometres (4 mi) north of New Denver in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and ferry terminal is at the mouth of Wilson Creek on the eastern shore of Slocan Lake. The locality, on BC Highway 6, is about 106 kilometres (66 mi) by road north of Castlegar and 144 kilometres (89 mi) by road and ferry south of Revelstoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mara Lake</span>

Mara Lake is a lake in the Shuswap Country region of south central British Columbia, Canada. To the west is Hyde Mountain and east is Morton Peak. The outlet of the Shuswap River forms the upper reaches. The lower end enters the narrows at Sicamous and flows into Shuswap Lake. The northern end of Mara Lake is by road about 73 kilometres (45 mi) west of Revelstoke, 140 kilometres (87 mi) east of Kamloops, and 75 kilometres (47 mi) north of Vernon.

Vallican is an unincorporated community on the west side of the Slocan River in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. At the mouth of the Little Slocan River, the locality formerly spanned both sides of the Slocan River. The rural neighbourhood is off BC Highway 6 about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Slocan, and 39 kilometres (24 mi) north of Castlegar.

Appledale is an unincorporated community spanning both sides of the Slocan River in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. The rural neighbourhood immediately west of Highway 6 is about 4 kilometres (2 mi) north of Winlaw and 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of Slocan.

Lemon Creek is an unincorporated community on the east side of the Slocan River in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The locality is on BC Highway 6 about 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Slocan, and 62 kilometres (39 mi) north of Castlegar.

South Slocan is an unincorporated community in rural British Columbia with a population of approximately 100 people, many of whom are followers of the Doukhobors religion. It is located on the northwest shore of the Kootenay River in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The village comprises 51 households. A former railway junction on BC Highway 6, it is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) northeast of Castlegar, and 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Nelson. Its postal category is Rural Route One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Arrow Lake Ferry</span> Ferry in British Columbia, Canada

The Upper Arrow Lake Ferry is a ferry across Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Linking Shelter Bay and Galena Bay, the ferry, part of BC Highway 23, is by road about 52 kilometres (32 mi) south of Revelstoke and 47 kilometres (29 mi) north of Nakusp.

Shoreacres is an unincorporated community in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. This former ferry landing lies on the northwest shore of the Kootenay River and northeast shore of the Slocan River. The location, on BC Highway 3A, is by road about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Castlegar, and 24 kilometres (15 mi) southwest of Nelson.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Slocan Valley Rail Trail history". www.slocanvalleyrailtrail.ca.
  2. 1 2 "Slocan Valley Rail Trail sections". www.slocanvalleyrailtrail.ca.
  3. 1 2 "Trail Talk: Vol. 12 No. 2 — April 2007" (PDF). www.trailsbc.ca.
  4. ↑ "Trail Talk: Vol. 11 No. 1 — January 2006" (PDF). www.trailsbc.ca.
  5. ↑ "Trails BC News: Vol. 17 No. 1 — April 2012" (PDF). www.trailsbc.ca.
  6. ↑ "Highway 3A South Slocan Overhead Removal Project". www.islengineering.com.
  7. ↑ "South Slocan to Crescent Valley". www.slocanvalleyrailtrail.ca.
HIKING.SVG

This Canadian trail or long-distance path-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

49°45′40″N117°28′24″W / 49.76100°N 117.47328°W / 49.76100; -117.47328

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.